Bowling game ball projector



L. ALMAsl BOWLING GAME BALL PROJECTOR,-

June 14, 1949.

Filed July 21, 1947 Z n d INVENTOR.

: LUDH-IG. ALMASI Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT orncs BOWLING GAME BALL PROJECTOR Ludwig Almasi, New York, N. Y.

Application July 21, 1947, Serial No. 762,284

6 Claims. (01. 273-129) This invention relates to a bowling game apparatus, wherein the skill of the player is directed in the control of the ball, rather than in the force of its projection, and all ball throws will be produced at the same approximate velocity of travel.

One object of the invention is the provision of a device which can be used in a bowling alley, and which is provided with a toboggan for giving the initial rolling impulse to the ball with means for releasing the ball to roll in the toboggan so that the direction of rolling may be controlled by the player and little effort will be required to release the ball supported at the head of the toboggan.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a ball casting device with a toboggan, which is pivotally supported so that it may be swung to line the ball position for release with any ball positioned in advance of the released ball, thus obtaining accurate ball casting.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a ball casting device with a toboggan, which is mounted to swing on a vertical rod, and which is provided with a seat at the top of the toboggan which normally holds the ball before release and with a spring for raising the toboggan, so that by depressing the toboggan the ball will be displaced to roll downwardly through the toboggan and thus gain sufiicient rolling velocity to displace bowling pins positioned in the path of the released hall.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, showing a bowling alley, which may be of any size, and illustrating the starting toboggan.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the toboggan.

Fig. 3 is a detail cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the toboggan supporting rod and its base.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the bowling alley or table, and taken on line 55 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows thereof.

Fig. .6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view,

2 showing the spill pit and one of the return track rooves.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the ball releasing lever cup.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates the practical embodiments of the inventon, I0 designates a bowling alley, which in this case is shown to be of the table type and is provided with a flat playing board supported at its front end by spaced legs II and at its rear by similar spaced legs I2.

The bowling alley itself comprises the horizontal board I3 having longitudinal side runways I4 and I5 at the sides thereof and a side wall l6 and ball return groove II, which are disposed outwardly of the runways I 4 and I5 and increase in height rearwardly to the far end of the board or alley. The far end of the alley is provided with a cross groove or track I8 which connects with the rear end of the ball return groove I'I.

At the far end of the board, the usual pin spotting marks are provided on which the bowling pins I9 are disposed in the usual order to form a triangular assembly, with the apex located forwardly of the group. Rearwardly of the pins I9, a pin pit 20 is provided and the rear ends of the side runways I4 and I5 discharge any balls rolling through them into the pin pit 20.

In the usual playing of the game of bowling, balls are projected with considerable manual force down the alley, and the player endeavors to displace the bowling pins by knocking down as many of the pins to a horizontal position as possible. The best score would be granted to one who knocked down all the pins at once.

In projecting the ball, considerable skill is required to impart to the ball the required velocity and to direct it so that its playing eifect will be at the maximum, that is, so that all or a large number of the pins will be knocked down, or a particular pin or group of pins will be knocked down.

By this invention, the work of imparting rolling velocity to the ball is performed by a toboggan, and the player merely controls the direction of the toboggan and the release of the ball to roll downwardly through the toboggan to gain the necessary rolling velocity.

The toboggan or starting device consists of a block 2| which has a straight bottom side 2|, an inclined runway or toboggan 2 l and a vertical rear side 2|. This block is formed with a vertical passage 2 I which extends from the lower or bottom side 2 I a through the seat 2 I' formed at the top of the block 2I. The lower end of the 3 passage 2| is enlarged and a coil spring 22 is disposed in this enlarged part, so that its upper end will bear against the washer 23 which bears on the shoulder 24, and the lower end of the spring bears on the metal plate 25, which is fastened to the floor by means of the screws 26.

A vertical rod 21 has its lower end secured to the metal plate 25, and the action of the spring tends to maintain the whole block 2| normally elevated a short distance above the upper surface of the floor or board I3.

The runway 21 is in the form of a ball groove and extends to the seat 21 and engages a release cup 28, which has a forward lever arm 29 which is secured by the pivot pin 30 to the sides of the runway 21*. The release cup 28 normally supports a bowling ball so that the ball will rest at the top of the runway '2 P for an indefinite period or time.

When the bowling pins are properly set for the start of the bowling play, the player uses his or her skill to turn the block 2! and direct the lower end thereof in the proper direction, and then depresses the whole block 2|, so that the stationary rod 21 will engage the lower side of the release cup 28 and tilt it upwardly, due to the fact that the lever arm 23 of the release cup 28 will be displaced upwardly by the lowering of the block 25. As soon as the release cup is tilted the ball will roll downwardly through the runway 21", gaining velocity as it reaches the lower end of the runway and then rolling at this accelerated velocity and moving at high speed against the bowling pins.

The entire e'fiort of the player is thus concentra-ted in the direction of the toboggan block which swings on the vertical rod 21, as well as sliding vertically upon it.

The toboggan starting block is located midway of the sides of the bowling alley or floor, near the forward end of the same, which is elevated in the present showing above the floor of the room in which the bowling equipment is installed.

The player is thus able to sight the triangular shaped starting block in any desired direction and, then, by a simple downward push to overcome the resistance of the spring 22, the ball is released to produce the resulting playing effect upon the bowling pins.

The halls are returned to starting position by a pin boy or attendant at the rear end of the bowling table or alley, and caught by the player as they roll forwardly along the side runways.

The toboggan starting block may be made of any suitable material such as hard wood, and designed to fit any size bowling balls.

The invention provides a simple but dependable means for bowling by the use of skill alone as each ball rolls to striking position at constant velocity, and all players are thus placed on an equal basis. This advantage permits persons of relatively weak strength or in poor health to participate in playing the game. and a weaker person may thus compete on equal terms with a stronger person.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understoodthat I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed. and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a bowling game having a fi'at playing board, means for projecting a ball, comprising a, rod extended vertically from the Irontend of the board, a block having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined grooved top i ace for guiding a ball rolling downward thereon, said block being formed at its rear end with a passage communicating at its top end with the grooved top face and into which said rod extends turnably and vertically slidably supporting said block, resilient means retaining said block in a slightly raised position off the board in which the top end of said rod is retracted into the top of said passage, and a. lever arm pivotally mounted on said block at the top end of the grooved top face thereof to rest over the top end of said passage in the slightly raised position of said block, said lever arm being formed in its top face with a cup-shaped recess in which a ball rests, said rod being of a length to extend from the top end of said passage and pivot said lever arm to spill a ball from said cupshape'd recess onto the grooved top face of said block when said'blo'ck is pushed downward against the action of said resilient means.

2. In a bowling game having a fiat playing board, means for projecting a ball, comprising a rod extended vertically from the front end ofthe board, a block having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined grooved top face for guiding a ball rolling downward thereon, said block being formed at its rear end with a passage communieating at its top end with the grooved top face and into which said rod extends turna'bly and vertically slidably supporting said block, resilient means retaining said block in a slightly raised position off the board in which the top end of said rod is retracted into the top of said passage, and a lever arm pivotally mounted on said block at the top end of the grooved top face thereof to rest over the top end of said passage in the slightly raised position of said block, said lever arm being formed in its top face with a cupshaped recess in which a ball rests, said rod being of a length to extend from the top end of said passage and pivot said lever arm to spill a ball from said cup-shaped recess onto the grooved top face of said block when said block is pushed downward against the action of said resilient means, said resilient means comprises a shoulder formed within said passage intermediate the length thereof, and an expansion spring on said rod operating betweensaid shoulder and the adiacent face of the board.

3. In a bowling game having a flat playing board, means for projecting a ball, comprising a rod extended vertically from the front end of the board, a block having a downwardly and reanwardly inclined grooved top face for guiding a ball rolling downward thereon, said block being formed at its rear end with a passage communicating at its top end with the grooved 'top face and into which said rod extends turnably and vertically slidably supporting said block, resilient means retaining said block in a slightly raised position on the board in which the top end of said rod is retracted into the top of said passage, and a lever arm pivotally mounted on said block at the top end of the grooved top face thereof to rest over the top end of said passage in the slightly raised position of said block, said lever arm being formed in its top face with a cupshaped recess in which a ball rests, said rod being of a length to extend from the top end of said passage and pivot said lever arm to spill a ball from said cup-shaped recess onto the grooved top face-of said block when said block pushed downward against the action of said resilient means, and a pin extended across said block rearward of said passage and upon which the rear end of said lever arm is pivotally mounted.

t. In a bowling game having a flat playing board, means for projecting a ball, comprising a rod extended vertically from the front end of the board, a block having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined grooved top face for guiding a ball rolling downward thereon, said block being formed at its rear end with a passage communicating at its top end with the grooved top face and into which said rod extends turnably and vertically slidably supporting said block, resilient means retaining said block in a slightly raised position off the board in which the top end of said rod is retracted into the top of said passage, and a lever arm pivotally mounted on said block at the top end of the grooved top face thereof to rest over the top end of said passage in the slightly raised position of said block, said lever arm being formed in its top face with a cup-shaped recess in which a ball rests, said rod beingof a length to extend from the top end of said passage and pivot said lever arm to spill a ball from said cup-shaped recess onto the grooved top face of said block when said block is pushed downward against the action of said resilient means, a metal plate set into a recess formed in the top face of the board and from which said rod extends, and screws securing said metal plate in position in said recess.

5. In a ball projector having a block formed with a downwardly inclined grooved top face and formed at the high end thereof with a vertical passage into which a vertical rod slidably and rotatively extends with resilient means urging the block into a raised position in which the top end of the rod is retracted into the top end of the passage, a pin mounted across the block on the side of the passage adjacent the low end of the inclined top face of the block, and a lever arm pivotally mounted at one end on said pin to overlie the top end of said passage and upon which a ball may be rested, whereby when the block is depressed against the action of the resilient means the rod will engage the bottom face of said lever arm pivoting the same spilling the ball resting thereon onto the downwardly inclined top face of the block.

6. In a ball projector having a blocl: formed with a downwardly inclined grooved top face and formed at the high end thereof with a vertical passage into which a vertical rod slidably and r0- tatively extends with resilient means urging the block into a raised position in which the top end of the rod is retracted into the top end of the passage, a pin mounted across the block on the side of the passage adjacent the low end of the inclined top face of the block, and a lever arm pivotally mounted at one end on said pin to overlie the top end of said passage and upon which a ball may be rested, whereby when the block is depressed against the action of the resilient means the rod will engage the bottom face of said lever arm pivoting the same spilling the ball resting thereon onto the downwardly inclined top face of the block, said lever arm being formed with a cup-shaped recess into which a ball may be engaged.

LUDWIG ALMASI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,268,741 McCoy June 4, 1918 1,679,643 Baumann Aug. 7, 1928 1,681,590 Marczinko Aug. 21, 1928 2,289,421 Grieshaber et al. July 14, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 634,175 France Nov. 8, 1927 

